The Evening: U.S. Opens Borders to Vaccinated, China Mock-Ups, Time is On My Side, and More

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Good Evening,

It's Monday, November 8th.

U.S. Border Opens to Vaccinated Travelers

Airlines started flying thousands of Europeans and others to the U.S. after Washington reopened its borders to citizens of 33 countries who had been barred by Covid-19 restrictions for more than 18 months, as the WSJ reports.

China Builds Mock-Ups of U.S. Warships

Satellite images show China has built mock-ups of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and destroyer in its northwestern desert, possibly for practice for a future naval clash as tensions rise between the nations, as the AP reports.

President’s Vaccine Mandate

As the deadline nears for the Biden administration to respond to a request for a permanent injunction against its vaccine mandate, the White House has called for employers to adhere to the new rules if their business has 100 or more employees, as the Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

Apply now for a CSIS course on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The course draws insights from leading experts and the Reconnecting Asia Project and explains what the BRI is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Data Unpacked,” Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

1,000

Belarusian authorities have escorted an estimated 1,000 people, most of whom are from the Middle East, to the Polish border in an escalation of a deadly crisis that has already left people desperate to reach the EU trapped between borders and at least eight dead due to exposure.

Source: The Guardian

Critical Quote

“When it comes to climate, time really is running out…we are nowhere near where we need to be.”

— Former U.S. president Barack Obama

iDeas Lab

Last week, Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, and director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at CSIS testified before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe on "Upholding OSCE Commitments in Hungary and Poland."

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.) Former U.S. president Barack Obama delivers a speech while attending day nine of COP26 on November 8, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., Brookings hosts a discussion on Mozambique’s al-Shabab insurgency and assesses the implications for African states and the United States.

And, at 12:30 p.m., join AEI for a conversation on the United States Emergency Food Security Program and how its mandates influence American farms and shipping companies alongside recipients of international emergency food aid.

Then, at 2:00 p.m., the Wilson Center examines the evolution of Central Asian regional development and security with Ambassador George Krol, former U.S. Ambassador to Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

Video

CSIS today welcomed Mr. David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group, to discuss the direction and goals of the World Bank Group as we work toward a post-Covid-19 world.

Podcasts

In the latest episode of CCU, CSIS's Steve Morrison sits down with Dr. Rick Brennan, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Emergency Director of the WHO, to discuss the implications of the Taliban takeover on Afghan healthcare, specifically on their handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and international aid.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

A couple of days ago, my son asked me to share my New Orleans music playlist with him. I was blown away by the request—maybe I’ve done something right musically with my boys!

Of course I don’t have a “New Orleans Playlist.” Because so much of my music falls under that category, the list would be endless. But I had my assignment and I wanted to deliver for my son, post-haste…

The playlist that I created, “NOLA 1,” includes selections from Professor Longhair, the Meters, Lucinda Williams (yes I include her on this list), Neville Brothers, Radiators, Marva Wright, Marcia Ball, Dr. John, Subdudes, Allen Toussaint, Anders Osborne, Jon Cleary, C. J. Chenier, Beau Jocque, Rebirth Brass Band, and so many, many others.

I can’t tell you which song is my favorite, that would be akin to identifying a favorite son. But this cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Time is On My Side,” by Irma Thomas, the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” is right up there.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Kendal Gee, Paige Montfort, and Christopher Healey.